This Sunday (Mar. 27), the Academy will proudly put on their 94th annual Oscars telecast and acclaimed producer Will Packer is leading the charge. By Packer’s side will be the first ever all-Black production team in Oscars history.
When speaking about the selection of his crew, Will Packer assures he doesn’t need words to explain the weight of his decision, but would rather people tune in to see the action. “I’m someone who always believes ‘I can show you better than I can tell you.’ I’m proud of ours being the first all-Black team but I don’t feel the need to talk about it inordinately,” he says. “I’d rather show the world what we can do and then after the fact we can talk about how great the result was that this particular team produced.”
In additional exciting news, the queen Beyoncé is among the newly announced group of artists who will perform at the 2022 Oscars. The other artists on the star-studded list of performers include Sebastián Yatra and Billie Eilish and her brother, Reba McEntire, and FINNEAS. The artists will perform their respective hits nominated in the best original song category.
With big shoes to fill, Packer had to shake the table and make some big decisions. Packer and the Academy have received criticism following the announcement a few weeks ago that eight categories, three shorts and five artisan, will be pre-recorded and edited into the live telecast for viewers at home. The producer defended his decision by saying he is thinking of the award show “as an entertainment property.”
“Will is a powerhouse producer who has enjoyed success across all movie genres. He’s already bringing a boundless energy and a focus on innovation to this year’s Oscars, to entertain the widest spectrum of fans. Many wonderful surprises ahead!,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson in an official statement.
Be sure to tune into the 94th annual Oscars award show this Sunday, March 27.